The content creators are almost exclusively women, and while a large number of them post captions in Russian, there are women from all around the world posting videos of themselves chewing and swallowing chalk. And it’s not a small genre. The #chalkeating tag on Instagram has over 71,000 posts to date, and similarly, the #chalkasmr tag has over 34,000 posts.

So far there have been two scientific studies successfully published, both by researchers based in the UK. The first from Swansea University was published on PeerJ March 26th 2015 entitled ‘Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) – A flow like mental state’ which concluded ‘We have provided the first investigation into the phenomenon of autonomic sensory meridian response (ASMR). ASMR can be induced, in those who are susceptible, by a fairly consistent set of triggers. Given the reported benefits of ASMR in improving mood and pain symptoms, we suggest that ASMR warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic measure similar to that of meditation and mindfulness’

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A: I’ve been watching ASMR for about eight years. I was a horrible sleeper and could never go to bed, so I was just always watching YouTube on my phone. I stumbled on one of the videos, and I literally never stopped watching. When I was a film major, I was always into YouTube; I loved the internet culture; I loved everything about ASMR. I was so familiar with the community and who was in it and the little nuances. I was like, “If I’m going to start a YouTube channel, I think I would do ASMR.” I didn’t think anyone would like what I had to offer, but I knew I wanted to take it seriously.
i have only experienced ASMR very little. mines more physical. sounds dont really seem to trigger me. when i was in first grade we would have this exercise were we would outline a letter of the alphabet with are fingers on each others backs. the light touching sensation on my back would trigger me and i would sometimes fall asleep in class. on rare occasions it would trigger if someone did something for me like draw a picture for me. i never understood what it was in tell i found this web-sight describing what i felt. i am still looking for more triggers and wondering if any one else has had similar triggers.

For those who don't experience ASMR, it can be difficult to wrap your head around this "tingling" feeling and how something as simple as whispering or clicking could trigger it. But recent research has shown that ASMR is more than just a self-reported feeling—it can be measured physiologically. A 2018 study published in the journal PLOS One found that people who watched ASMR videos had a decreased heart rate in response, which can explain the intense feeling of relaxation many people report. Researchers also recorded higher levels of skin conductance in people experiencing ASMR, indicating arousal or excitement (likely due to the tingles).

It also might be the case that you need an in-person physical trigger to experience ASMR rather than being able to feel it after watching a Youtube clip, Richard adds. Have someone play with your hair, touch your arm lightly, draw letters on your back with their fingers or whisper to you. “ASMR is ultimately about that personal connection,” Richard says.

It's funny - for me some of these clips didn't quite work. But they sure did for my rabbit who listens to various forms of media - tv, radio, conference calls, me - most of the day. He usually is quite a passive listener and will only occasionally respond with ear turning or a change in position that shows he's listening to something different that has caught his attention.
Maria says that she hears from subscribers, including doctors and psychologists, who are excited by the ASMR research. But mostly, she gets thank-you notes — from people with anxiety or sleep disorders, from overwhelmed college students struggling through exam week, from military veterans who tell her that her videos offer a sense of calm that they can’t find elsewhere.
Hi I’ve had these sensations all my life. Can anyone else have these sensations by just thinking? It took me time but now I can control the way the waves go ie left side or right side, half way down or all the way down the legs and how strong the sensation is but always starting at the head. I’m sure everyone gets the sensation when listning to music and other stuff like that but can anyone tell me if others can control this sensation and if it is used in meditation? I get this sensation when relaxing but also when im in some kind of threat and it makes me more calm in case I need to defend my self. some times I cant control it and happens when im out and about but most times control able, its like electric tingles that go in waves one after the other and you can hold one wave for awhile in one spot of body, just thinking about is giving me the tingles.
So far I have experienced all The common ASMR triggers. However the best ones are those when I’m listening to music, more specifically electronic or EDM. As chessy as sounds I have discovered that my ASMR can be triggered during the end of climatic build ups or bass drops and the feeling is pure bliss. All you need is a decent pair of noise cancelling headphones or an isolated room with kickass Sub … Works every time
It's also not something that affects everyone. Apparently only part of the population "gets" ASMR, just like not everyone "gets" magic-eye pictures or Beyoncé. It could even be a genetic thing for some, like the people who were born with the crossed wires that make them think cilantro tastes like Comet. The actual science on ASMR is scant, and some neurologists aren't sure that it even exists. Those who do think that the tingling feelings produced by ASMR might be tiny seizures. But for those who do experience ASMR, there's a wealth of material out there to give you a brain boner.
Ahuja alleges that through the character of Tom More, as depicted in Love in the Ruins, Percy 'displays an intuitive understanding of the diagnostic act as a form of therapy unto itself'. Ahuja asks whether similarly, the receipt of simulated personal clinical attention by an actor in an ASMR video might afford the listener and viewer some relief.[21]